This Chromebook may have Flex '' in its name, but ironically, its solid metal chassis is stalwart with a premium-feeling, part-aluminum body. While Chromebooks can run Chrome OS-specific and Android apps, some people need the full Windows OS to run heftier applications, such as video-editing suites. Wired may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. WIRED: If you're all-in on Google's Chrome OS, Acer's Chromebook Spin 713 offers the best experience you'll get outside of Google's much more expensive Pixelbook laptops. Also, if a tablet might be the answer for you check out our Apple iPad mini 6 review (2021), which starts at $499, or the new Amazon Fire 7 tablet (2022) is a great device for content consumption starting at just $60. Does your insurance cover them? Pay attention to networking. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. The Aspire 5 is one of the best cheapest laptops currently available. Laptops like the HP Chromebook 15, HP Chromebook x2 and Samsung Chromebook 4 are examples of great chromebooks you can buy under $500. But we don't recommend that size for any but the youngest students. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Even if these laptops are slightly out of budget right now, you should consider saving if you can, as they boast Intel Core i3 processors, which you wont find in most laptops under $500. Even better, if you're comfortable with it, think about an affordable laptop with a replaceable battery (if you can find one), upgradable memory, graphics card and storage, or all of the above. I've been writing about and reviewing consumer technology since before the turn of the century. The Stream boasts a portable, 11-inch chassis, weighing in at 2.5 pounds and measuring just 0.7 inches thick. Remember to consider whether having a lighter, thinner laptop or a touchscreen laptop with a good battery life will be important to you in the future. WIRED: We initially loved Acer's 2021 version of the Swift 3, but it started a little over our $700 budget. Its cheap, and since the operating system is stripped down, it will perform better than your average Windows 10 laptop for the same price. Rami Tabari is an Editor for Laptop Mag. Updated March 2022: We've updated several models to their latest versions and updated prices throughout. Powerful, yet light & nimble, with screens typically smaller than 15". Shop your favorite products and well find the best deal with a single click. I've had great luck buying used laptops on eBay from all sorts of sellers (both pros and regular people). The least expensive budget laptops suitable for a solid gaming performance experience -- those with moderately powerful discrete graphics processors -- will run you closer to $700. Unfortunately, Amazon is charging a bit more for Windows 11, but it's probably worth it, since Windows 10 won't be supported forever. Laptop Mag is supported by its audience. A battery-powered motor lets you enjoy most of the benefits of biking, minus the sweat. You dont have to spend a fortune to get a good notebook. We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. At first glance, The Lenovo Chromebook Duet (reviewed at $279) looks like an innocuous journal, but open that bad boy up, and its a small laptop with a colorful 10.1-inch display. Read our Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 review. The Acer Aspire 5 15-inch clamshell continues to be one of the best laptop deals available. However, if you dont mind using the ChromeOS, it might be best for you to use a Chromebook. A touchscreen is a prerequisite for tablet operation, and many support styluses (aka pens) for handwritten and sketched input. As long as you manage your expectations when it comes to options and specs, you can still get quite a bit from a budget laptop model, including good battery life and a reasonably lightweight laptop body. You can frequently set a system to boot from an external solid-state drive if necessary. These inexpensive models can be especially at risk of not making the cut. Learn more. The Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 cloaks itself in the guise of a tweed-bound journal. Aim for these specs: Try to get a laptop with at least a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage (preferably a solid-state drive), and at least a 13-inch display that's close to HD., Finding used laptops on eBay: Once you know what you want, search for it on eBay. These gadgets lead the pack. Apples laptops are expensive, and youll have to make some hard choices to pick the right one. Amazon currently offers an older Core i3 8GB model for under $450, a reasonable price for a Windows laptop with an Intel Core processor. The HP Chromebook x2 is not only a great 2-in-1, but it's also a great Chromebook and among the best laptops under $500 thanks to its bright, high-res display and long battery life. 2022 CNET, a Red Ventures company. It's also on the heavy side, at nearly 4 pounds. Especially because you can't always tell the difference between an expensive and an affordable laptop by looks alone, but their performance and functionality will vary greatly. You'd think somewhere in the miraculous technological utopia of our age, we'd also be able to get a decent laptop without spending a fortune. Still powerful. The Chromebook Duet screen is small, however, so if you're regularly using it at a desk, we recommend attaching an external monitor to its USB-C port. Laptop Mag is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Check out ourbest cheap laptop deals for deep discounts on already affordable laptops. Because there are a lot of cheap laptops that aren't worth it, try not to make any rash decisions when buying. 11 Rapid At-Home Covid-19 Testsand Where to Find Them. You can use it as a tablet that flips into a laptop when you want. The Lenovo Flex is not a great choice for outdoor use, since the display is pretty dim. If you haven't thought about it, look at AMD Ryzen processors as alternatives to Intel Core for Windows laptops or alternatives to Intel Celeron and Pentium for Chromebooks. If you want great battery life and something that doubles as a way to browse the web from the couch, watch movies in bed, and still get a bit of work done during the day, the iPad fits the bill. The Flex 5 Chromebook is perfect for productivity work because the keyboard will have you flying through any word-processing tasks with rhythmic speediness. The Intel Celeron 3000N processor and 4GB of RAM driving the Samsung Chromebook 4 provides decent power for multitasking, especially at this price. The screen could be brighter. Plus, free shipping on most items with RedCard. Although, if you like to live on the bleeding edge, cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia and Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's Game Streaming will let you play games on laptops with specs that hit the under-$500 mark. With curved edges and a silver hue, the Samsung Chromebook 4 looks a lot like the many MacBook copycats we've seen over the years. If you're itching for a Chromebook with a bigger, sharper display for an affordable price, then your best best is the HP Chromebook 15. Now that it's more affordable, this notebook is a better buy. Here me out. Unfortunately, that's one of the trade-offs: A lot of these use TN (twisted nematic) screen technology, which is cheap but meh. You can upgrade to the full version for free, though. That also means if you spend most of your time roaming the web, writing, streaming video or playing Android games, they're a good fit. It's big, and the display is not the sharpest, but it won't strain your eyes. It also packs a decent number of ports as well, including two USB Type-C ports, a USB Type-A port and a microSD card slot. It even has an aluminum hood. The system also lasted a solid 9 hours and 19 minutes on our battery test. On top of that, you get a battery life that'll last you for 9 hours and 51 minutes. For just $469, you get a Chromebook with Core i3 performance and a comfortable keyboard packed into a refreshing design. Need something superportable? Samsung Chromebook has a fantastic screen and nearly 10 hours of battery life. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The changes run deeper than that with a dramatically improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor, while also delivering over 13 hours on a single charge. Don't confuse it with the thinner, lighter, more expensive Asus VivoBook S15. When I first heard this, I thought, Why? Is there a target audience of Chromebook lovers whove been beseeching the gods for an unwieldy, clunky laptop? the brand was revived for a new lineup of laptops and tablets sold exclusively through Walmart, Best Monitors Under $200 You Can Get Right Now, Best Laptops for High School Students in 2022, Best 2-in-1 PCs in 2022 for When You Need a Laptop and Tablet In One, Best Cheap Gaming Laptop Under $1,000 for 2022, Budget Hack: Replace Netflix and Other Pricey Subscriptions With These Free Versions, Best Desk Workout Equipment So You Can Exercise While You Work. The best overall laptop under $500 you can buy, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. Look through a collection of Chromebooks and Notebooks which are easy to carry around making them ideal for light users and students. From smart collars to dog backpacks, we've had our furry best friends try it all. Top that off with a superthin design and a good keyboard. It's easier to find inexpensive Chromebooks than Windows laptops, making them one of the most popular budget laptops on the market, though we're also seeing a lot more Chromebooks in the $500-to-$1,000 range. You'll regret it if you don't. Keep an eye on the OS of the machine; most of these still come with Windows 10, but some offer a free upgrade to Windows 11. Previously, the HP Chromebook x2 wouldnt be anywhere near this page, but the detachable Chromebook has since landed below the $500 price range. While its pricey for having a MediaTek processor inside, the CM3 makes up for it with nearly 12 hours of battery life and a durable chassis. Choosing the best laptop under $500 for you really depends on where you are at with your budget. But the Duet is a budget-friendly Chromebook, so we can concede the lack of slim bezels as a reasonable trade off. WIRED: The HP Pavilion line has been a stalwart of reliable, if somewhat boring, laptops for what seems like ages now. 15 Good N95, KF94, and KN95 Face Masks to Buy Right Now. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). To get 8 GB of RAM and the keyboard, the price almost doubles. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. In 2020,the brand was revived for a new lineup of laptops and tablets sold exclusively through Walmart. A base-model iPad with an inexpensive Bluetooth keyboard and cheap stand for the iPad might suffice. But demands on Chromebooks are growing, so if your Chrome needs to run beyond the basics you should think about paying more for more memory and a faster processor. The perfect mix of power, price & portability. And finally, if you're replacing an old Windows laptop that's not up to running Windows anymore, consider turning it into a Chromebook. Now take the 10 most recent sales, add up the prices, and divide by 10. Gamers need a sturdy, powerful laptop. Scheduled contactless delivery as soon as today. On the upside, the boom in 14-inch laptops trickles down to this price range, which allows for more FHD options in the size. These tips can help you dive in more easily. Some tasks, such as editing photos, are a challenge on its tiny screen, but it's perfect for browsing the web, emailing, editing documents online, and staying in touch with family via video chat. See our full Lenovo Chromebook Duet review. Remember that if you miss out on something, it's not the end of the world. The 4GB RAM and 128GB solid-state drive storage don't allow you to have many programs or lots of browser tabs open simultaneously but you can add more of both down the road. The specifications aren't always correct on the shopping sites, so if you see a model that doesn't seem to have Wi-Fi 4, double-check on the manufacturer's site before ruling it out. Those are the deals you can consider. See our full Asus Chromebook Detachable CM3 review. How accurate are over-the-counter swabs? While our particular model sports a dull, black paint job, the HP Stream 11 is still adorable given its petite size.